WOW. I devoured this book. Update: Still hopelessly in love with Serapio. So much happened in this book but at the same time nothing happened? I loved every second of it.

The Crow God Reborn has defeated the Sun Tower. Tova is in disarray and no one knows what to do. The Seven Lords have traveled to Teek to ask for aid. Another group has traveled to Hokkia to seek aid from the Spear Maidens. The Crow God himself was wounded in the battle that destroyed the Watchers in the Tower. Serapio does not know how to proceed: he is a god, but also a human. Naranpa, the Sun Priestess, has manifested god-like powers herself. She meets Serapio and heals his wound, but they both know some type of final confrontation is in the future for them both. Is there anyone they can trust? Once again, Roanhorse's world-building is magnificent.

This sequel was everything I hoped for. It was just as cutthroat as the first and equally captivating. I love that Serapio and Nara were at the forefront of this book. I was invested in all of the characters, but Nara in particular has a fantastic story arc and it really helped prevent "Second Book Syndrome" in my opinion. Nara's pov alone pretty much drove the story for me; when you add in all the other characters, it becomes a very entertaining story.
The themes within the story were carried over from book 1 and are still a catalyst for book two with the whole "Gods are among us, but is it okay to have God-like powers" situation. Loved it! Also, I'm here for Xiala and Serapio and I'm so glad that their relationship didn't dissolve in this book. If you loved book one you would seriously enjoy this one! Overall I'd give it 4.5 stars and I'm looking forward to the conclusion!

Fevered Star is book 2 in a 3(?) book series. I had no idea that I wouldn’t get all my answers resolved in this book. But I guess I’ll have to wait for the next one!

Overall, we get a deeper look at the characters of Xiala and Serapio and a new narrative from Lord Balam who we met in the last book. I really found it interesting to see all these characters coming together after the Convergence.

I love this series, the >1 year wait for this second book was well worth it. It's such a unique world that was built so beautifully in the first book and it's inhabited by a cast of characters I absolutely love. It's not even listed yet but there's got to be at least one more based on the ending so I guess I'm back to anxiously waiting for the next one.

The plot was a little slower in this one. It had the pretty typical of a second book issue where the beginning wraps up loose ends, then the middle is a little slow and then the ending ramps up again to a reveal/cliffhanger. The writing and characters more than made up for it, I was totally invested throughout. The various clans are also clearly laid out in a way that I could follow the politics. It got a little muddy when everyone was siding with everyone and switching sides like crazy but that was the intention and I was as confused as I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be (or I just couldn't follow a simple plot but I'm going with my version).

The characters are why I love this series so much. Serapio is one of the most intriguing characters I've come across. He's morally gray or maybe even evil but I love him and want him to succeed. Xiala is a close second favorite and I was glad to get more of her history in this one. The other characters are also great. I wasn't a huge fan of adding another perspective but he was at least part of the story so it didn't turn me off as much as added POVs usually does.

And oh boy, the end was fantastic, I can't wait to see what happens next. The last few chapters blew my mind.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Roanhorse continues to be excellent in all things. Her continuation of the story from Black Sun does not disappoint. The characters remain fully developed as they explore out and come together in different configurations. I know middle novels have a lot of moving the pieces into place for finales, and there is still a lot of that here, but it is still wildly engaging at every step. Every time the POV changed, I wanted to keep reading the last *and* dive back into the next. At this point, I both am afraid of and for Serapio, which seems like exactly where Roanhorse wants me.

Thanks to Netgalley & Gallery Books for the arc copy!

4.5 stars

While I didn't absolutely love this one as much as Black Sun, this was still a great read. The world-building and character arcs are phenomenal and I love all of the political maneuvering. There is so much going on with the characters and their shifting alliances, it's sometimes difficult to keep track of it all. I feel like I need to reread a physical copy (with the character list and maps) to fully comprehend everything that happened, but I love these characters and this world so I was just along for the ride. By the end of the book, everything feels in place for a truly mind-blowing finale, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The second volume of Roanhorse's Native American-inspired fantasy series is even better than the first - the story moves quickly, the stakes get higher, most of the world-building has been done, and we get more interactions among the main characters.

The geography and culture seems to be a mashup of Incan Andes, Mayan/Aztec Mexico, and Mississippi Valley mound builders, with probably a whole lot of other stuff I don't recognize. The magic is atypical: there's not a single elf or dragon or dwarf, and, unusually for a quest novel, no wise mentor to guide our young heroes or earthy sidekick.

What we do have is a genuinely fantastic(al) world with believable characters and a compelling story. I look forward to the next installment.

Rebecca Roanhorse has given us master worldbuilding, dynamic character development, and an epic storyline. I love this sequel! It's filled with so much tension, and the plot's intensity unravels all the way to the end. There was so much to look out for in this sequel. Political war games, sorcery, and newly formed alliances give this book many unexpected twists. I love this book's dark, brooding nature, and I continue to root for its main characters, Serapio and Xiala. We learn more about who they are and the stories they carry with them. However, the strength comes from the evolution of the Sun Priest, Naranpa. Unexpectedly, I cheer for her and look forward to her growth.
Roandhorse gifts us an excellent sequel, and I can't wait to see this novel made into a series.

Overall, this was a stunning book 2 following the *events* that concluded Black Sun. We get to see more building intrigue for the third book, we see amazing character development for Xiala and Serapio, and we learn new things about familiar characters.
I flew through this book, consistently looking forward to the next time that I would read the book to find out what happens next. I truly to love this world and the characters that inhabit it.

A huge thank you to Saga for sending me the eARC. Be on the lookout for my B2Weird creative post closer to publication date and my full review on armedwithabook.com!

It's been a year or more since I read book one, but I dove into book two and was able to so easily pick up where book one left off. This story ramped up the tension in ways I hadn't even figured it would. I'm loving the continued exploration of the characters and their individual arcs--even of characters that are relatively minor. There's a ton of attention to detail in the character development and worldbuilding. This series and story feels tangible in a way that I absolutely love. It has the feel of an ageless classic.

My one nitpicky complaint was how the middle of the story used a bit of convenience to continue the series along. I get why the situation occurred, but it's one of the very few tropes that genuinely grates on my nerves. That being said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all and I felt everything worked out in the end, even if I still wasn't 100% behind how it happened.

I cannot recommend this series enough if you want a fabulously well-developed fantasy with gorgeous worldbuilding, strong and flawed characters, and a great plot that keeps you hanging.

I am a fan of Roanhorse's writing. Her narrative is often dark, twisty and violent. Fevered Star is no different. Black Sun was a strong first book, I was looking forward to book two. Fevered Star did not disappoint. The characters from book one return in full force. I loved the character journeys and interactions. Like book one we see wonderful worldbuilding. Character development is equally strong. The story is engaging and the pacing is absolutely wonderful. I will admit that Fevered Star feels a bit like a transitory book between the first and third in the series. That being said, it did feel complete and I didn't leave my reading feeling like I needed a lot more. A wonderful fantasy read!

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, gore, self-harm, misogyny

I have been waiting to read this book since I finished the first one in this series, Black Sun. I was thrilled to reimmerse myself in this gorgeous and unique Mesoamerican-inspired fantasy world, and Roanhorse certainly didn’t let me down.

This book picks up right where the last one left off, and I got to find out what happens to all of the characters in the aftermath of the Convergence. Chapters are still from the POV of Serapio, Naranpa, Xiala, and Okoa, but we also get a new POV — Lord Balam, which was interesting.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters — basically everyone in this story is morally gray, although they have strongly held beliefs that they are doing the right thing. However, for some, they are working to do the right thing for their people, while others are doing things that are right for only themselves. It was intriguing to follow each of their different journeys, and how they all react to the massive changes that are happening in the Meridian. We learn more about Xiala, especially, while the rest of the characters are focused more on the future.

Now that everything has pretty much gone to shit, following the devastating events of the Convergence, each of our MCs are working to adjust to changes. With the Watchers out of commission, it’s like a free-for-all in Tova. The clans are all maneuvering, and so are the Seven Lords in Cuecola. A lot of this book revealed the inner workings of Meridian society as they seem to be inevitably heading towards a war. It’s a little slower-paced than the last one, and felt like there was a lot more build-up for the next book, but there was still plenty of action and some surprising plot twists that I didn’t see coming.

It took me longer to read this book than I usually take, but part of that was because I was enjoying it so much that I kept stopping to slow myself down. It was a struggle not to fly through it. The evocative writing made it so easy to picture everything in my head, and empathize with each of the characters in turn. There are definitely some characters that I liked better than others, but each of them is facing a difficult situation. And while I included self-harm in my content warnings, this is more of an aspect of magic and societal rules, rather than traditional self-harm.

Overall, this was an enjoyable sequel, and I loved every second of reading. It never got boring or confusing, and the world-building was stunning — we got to see more of the Meridian, and I was fascinated by how incredible this world is. There isn’t an outright war in this story, but I’m on edge waiting to see what happens. The tension in Tova is felt throughout the story, and while the end left me with a sense of completion, I’m definitely going to be waiting impatiently for the next book.

I had this rated lower until the ending, where things really picked up. Fevered Star seems to suffer from pretty severe middle book syndrome. The main characters are depressingly passive through most of the plot, and a lot of the elements I loved from book one were missing. That said, the tedious slog seems to have set book three up to be an exciting ride that I look forward to reading.

The middle book of a trilogy is somewhat like the middle child, sometimes overlooked and underestimated, bookended by others that are given more attention, and often flying under the family radar. But often middle children and middle books, are great observers and detailers of the dynamics surrounding them and provide the cohesion and emotional resonance that holds a group of books or people together. Fevered Star, the second novel in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Mesoamerican fantasy trilogy, following Black Sun, is a splendid middle book that should be given its own time in the spotlight for doing everything that the second book should do.

It deepens the backstory of Serapio, the blind crow god reborn in the shape and soul of a man; his enemy Naranpa, the egalitarian, reformist low-born Sun Priest whose hold on life is precarious after she tried to change the political order; and Xiala, the love-torn hard-drinking outcast of the mysterious magical nautical Teeks. Some minor characters, in Black Sun turn into major ones, as Roanhorse fluidly advances the plot, rife with social and political intrigue that spins into family dramas with twists, turns and even death spirals. The world order has changed for the city of Tova and the surrounding lands, the priests of the major clans have been brutally eliminated by the avenging crow god, and life is held in the suspended eerie light of a waning sun. There is a political vulnerability in rich Tova, and a power vacuum in which the presence of family members and clan, as enemies, antagonists, or enigmatic forces is a recurring theme. Relationship dynamics are deliciously messy whether they are between mothers and daughters or sons, brothers and sisters, sisters and sisters, lovers, mentors and teachers, clans or countries. This is played against the complexity of magical worlds, some lost to history, some in a repeating loop, and some ravaging and yet rewarding the mortals that contain and try to control them, whether a vengeful crow, a winged avatar of the sun, or a dream walking jaguar. As any top notch fantasy, this book is a shape shifter of genres: a thriller, a mystery packed with suspense and strategic intrigue, a simmering romance (or thwarted romance), and a cautionary tale.

But perhaps the most exciting aspect of Fevered Star is the continued development of setting as a character. Roanhorse flexes her creative muscles and her imagination to produce all the fine details which create place, and a place based on a historical montage that most of us are not familiar with, filled with images, practices, traditions and some of the terrain from pre-Columbian and Mesoamerican cultures. Here we view the delicate network of suspension bridges between towering cliffs, the trade economy based on cacao, the central importance of astronomy, the feathered clothes, woven cloths, obsidian knives, the jewel encrusted teeth, the underworld web of gambling dens, the social order forged by birthright and sometimes by injustice, avarice or luck. Against this we have the fates of mortals who are gods or not or sometimes gods or god pretenders who hunt for secrets during sleep or who make dangerous alliances or who begin to wither when they wander too far from home. And what or who is home? Fevered Star spends time playing with this idea for the religions, cultures, people, and animals it houses and in doing so, spectacularly prepares us to springboard into the final book,

"Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun - finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. -Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star - book two of Between Earth and Sky."

The sample chapter from Fevered Star at the end of Black Sun was better than the whole Game of Thrones ripoff with no jeopardy that came before. Now if only the cover wasn't so horrific...

This second book in the series moves a bit slower than the first, but it is no less fascinating and is just as dark as the first. There is a lot going on, with a brewing war, lots of political intrigue and families fighting and reuniting. Such a marvelous world that never fails to keep you interested in the characters and what happens to them.

All of the main characters are back and continuing their journeys. I enjoyed reading about all of them and what happens to them after that startling ending in book one. I especially was interested in Serapio’s and Naranpa’ story. Both of their character arcs were amazing and totally had me on the edge about their difficulties. I also enjoyed Xiala’s journey both in her character and in the actual journey she takes. We get to see more of Meridian through her. I was a little bit disappointed with Okoa’s role this time around though. I still want to see a bit more from his point of view and to understand him better.

The story pretty much picks up right where book one ended, and only covers about a week’s time in the plot. But a lot sure happens in that week. This is very much a middle book though, so don’t expect any conclusions to any of the plot lines. This one spends most of the story setting up the plots in the next book. The writing remains beautiful and I continue to be impressed by the world building. There are some slow sections, but there is a steady and rhythmic pace to the whole book.

I think those of you who loved the first book will enjoy this one as well. This series still has a lot going for it, and I can’t wait for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Saga Press, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m so glad to be back in Meridian and while this does avoid much of a middle book slump, it does still drag in parts. I still find this world to be absolutely fascinating even if I still have no desire to live there. We got to see different parts of the world that we didn’t get to experience in Black Sun and all of our favorite characters are back. Xiala, Serapio, Okoa, and if you like naive and boring characters, Naranpa. However, this book could have used more conflict and higher stakes. It felt like a long set-up for book three.

Fevered Star gives us more details about the world and its history, that we didn’t experience in Black Sun. The characters are mostly divided to the four winds and we get to see some of the places that were mostly just mentioned in the first book. Hokaia being the one that I personally was most interested in, but I still wanted to see more. For certain characters, a lot of this book is moving from point A to point B.

I was happy to see Xiala and Serapio again. However, I still really find Naranpa obnoxious. Really obnoxious. I understand that she’s supposed to be growing and developing into a stronger person, but I still find her obnoxious. I just don’t find her journey as compelling as Serapio’s. I know that it may sound strange that I find Serapio so much more lovable than her, but I really do. Xiala and Serapio are very much my favorites, along with Okoa.

I wanted more conflict from this book. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of maneuvering behind the scenes of things by the Matrons, but I wanted more direct conflict. The stakes just didn’t feel that high and everything that Naranpa worked for during this whole installment was dissolved by the end and not by any particularly dramatic means. Even Xiala didn’t really get to shine because of the company that she got to keep through most of the book. Honestly, even though I love Serapio and Xiala, Okoa carried this book for me. He had the most interesting things going on both internally and externally. He also had the most contact with the other main characters.

Overall, I would recommend this for readers looking for non-eurocentric and accessible "epic" fantasy. This book has an array of interesting characters and representation, battling gods, and loads of political machinations. Fans of the first book should be fairly satisfied, the plot is moving forward, there are some big reveals, and groups of lovable characters (new and old). I'm excited for the next installment, I just hope that it won't be two years in between.

This follow-up to Roanhorse's Black Sun brings us back to the fictional city of Tova directly after the massacre on Sun Rock. The Crow God has survived and has realized that he failed to kill the true Sun Priest in the massacre. Naranpa is back in Coyote's Maw with her brother and on the run from Serapio. Meanwhile, Lord Balam is experimenting with dreamwalking, Xiala is still outrunning her past, and a permanent eclipse is hanging over Tova. While the overlapping storylines are fun to follow, Fevered Star at times gets lost in its own complexity.

After forcing myself to read through this book slowly, savoring every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence because I know the wait for subsequent books will be agony, I've finally finished Fevered Star. And my initial response can be summed up thusly:

AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHAKGPVFHDIUVHBIUSVHBF I NEED BOOK 3 IMMEDIATELY! I.M.M.E.D.I.A.T.E.L.Y!!

Ahem. I mean. Second books in an ongoing series are hard - they don't really begin, they don't really end, you know they're just there to continue the story along. Fevered Star does just that, continuing the stories of Xiala, Serapio, Naranpa and Okoa as the Meridian slides into war. But Rebecca Roanhorse absolutely nails it in terms of writing, storytelling, characterization, everything. Fevered Star is exciting, fast-paced, and a perfect sequel to Black Sun. It settles a lot of the questions left over by Black Sun, but still leaves plenty of mystery and action left for the next book. Which I absolutely need. Like, right now. My God, the wait for the next book will be awful. I can't wait!! I must know what happens in the Meridian!

In short, Rebecca Roanhorse has created a magnificent world full of magic and intrigue that is wonderfully addictive. If you haven't read Black Sun, then seriously, go and do that. Then read Fevered Star. Then you can join me in the agonizing wait for book 3. More, I says! MORE!